James Harden named 'NBA Live 18' cover athlete as free demo is announced

EA SPORTS

EA Sports has named Houston Rockets star James Harden as the cover athlete for its upcoming NBA Live 18.

"When I heard about working with EA Sports and being the cover athlete of NBA Live 18 I was pretty excited for the opportunity,” said Harden. “NBA Live 18 is all about creating your own identity and making your mark on the league, and I can definitely relate to that. If anybody knows about creativity it's me."

Harden began his career as the first player ever drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since being traded to Houston in 2012, Harden has been one of the top players in the league and becoming a perennial all-star and one of the league’s most-dominant players.

EA Sports also unveiled plans for a free demo of NBA Live 18 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It will be available beginning Aug. 11 for all players with Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus accounts and lets them experience The Rise, which is the prologue section of The One – an all-new way to pursue your legacy, centered on the player and defined by the player's choices. Progress made in The One during the free demo can be carried over into the full game. The demo will also feature specially-timed live events.

NBA Live 18 is developed by EA Tiburon and will be available worldwide September 15 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.